Juniper berry

Juniper Berry

The Juniper Berry is the female seed cone produced by the various species of junipers. It is not a true berry but a cone with unusually fleshy and merged scales, which give it a berry-like appearance. The cones from a handful of species, especially Juniperus communis, are used as a spice. Juniper berries are also used in the distillation of gin, a traditional and popular alcoholic beverage.

Description

Juniper berries are small, usually 4-12 millimeters in diameter. They are green when young, and mature to a dark purple-black color over about 18 months in most species, including J. communis. The fully matured berries are plump and contain one to three seeds, which are released when the berry is eaten by a bird or other animal.

Uses

Culinary

Juniper berries are used in a wide variety of culinary dishes and best known for the primary flavoring in gin (and responsible for gin's name, which is a shortening of the Dutch word for juniper, genever). Juniper berries are also used as a spice in European cuisine, especially in the cuisines of Northern Europe, where they are used to season meat dishes and sauerkraut, and to flavor beer and spirits.

Medicinal

In traditional medicine, juniper berries were used for female contraception. The 17th century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper recommended the ripened berries for conditions such as asthma and sciatica, as well as to speed childbirth.

Cultivation

Juniper berries are sourced from several species of juniper, including Juniperus communis, Juniperus drupacea, Juniperus phoenicea, Juniperus deppeana, and others. The plant is a small shrub that is typically 4–6 feet in height, though some species can grow much larger and reach up to 30 feet tall.

See also

• List of culinary herbs and spices
• List of plants used in herbalism